Order Code RS20881

Updated December 8, 2006

Party Leaders in the House:

Election, Duties, and Responsibilities
Valerie Heitshusen
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division

Each major party in the House has a leadership hierarchy. This fact sheet
summarizes the election, duties, and responsibilities of the Speaker of the House, the
majority and minority leaders, and the whips and whip system. For a listing of all past
occupants of congressional party leadership positions, see CRS Report RL30567, Party
Leaders in Congress, 1789-2006. For more information on legislative process, see
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml].1

Speaker of the House. The Speaker is elected by the House on the first day of
a new Congress. Customarily, the caucus or conference of each major party first elects
a candidate at early organizational meetings. When the new Congress convenes, each
party places the name of its candidate in nomination, and the majority party’s candidate
is typically elected on a party line vote. A rules change adopted at the beginning of the
108th Congress requires the Speaker to submit the names of Members designated to serve
as Speaker pro tempore in the event that the speakership becomes vacant, or in the event
the Speaker is disabled. House rules invest the Speaker with substantial powers.2 These
duties include, but are not limited to

! administering the oath of office to Members;

! recognizing Members for the purpose of speaking or making motions;
! referring bills and resolutions to committees;
! putting questions to a vote of Members;
! declaring a quorum (or the absence of one);
! counting and declaring all votes;
! deciding points of order;

1
Thomas P. Carr, former Analyst in American National Government at CRS, originally wrote
this report. The listed author has updated the report and is available to respond to inquiries on
the subject.
2
The Speaker has other powers specified in law, typically relating to appointing either occupants
of House offices (e.g., the Parliamentarian) or members of various commissions and advisory
boards. On the latter authority, see CRS Report RL33313, Congressional Commissions,
Committees, Boards, and Groups: Appointment Authority and Membership.
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! appointing House Members to select and conference committees;

! exercising additional committee appointment authority under party
conference rules;
! making appointments to fill temporary vacancies in House administrative
offices;
! appointing the Chair of the Committee of the Whole and the Speaker pro
tempore; and
! signing all bills and resolutions passed by the House.

Traditionally, the Speaker has no formal committee assignments, but serves as an ex

officio member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.3 The Speaker
infrequently votes or participates in floor debate. Although not prescribed in any formal
way, the Speaker is the principal spokesperson for the House and, oftentimes, for the
party, taking a leading role in negotiations with the Senate and President.

When in the majority, each party designates the Speaker as chair its committee
assignment panel, which assigns party members to standing committee slots, subject to
conference or caucus approval and House election. According to both Democratic Caucus
and Republican Conference rules, a Speaker from the respective party organization also
makes nominations (for conference consideration) for membership on the Committee on
Rules and the Committee on House Administration, nominates those committees’ chairs,
and also appoints one Member to serve on the Budget Committee. Caucus and
conference rules also give the Speaker some appointment authority for chairs of his or her
party’s internal committees.4 (See CRS Report 97-780, The Speaker of the House: House
Officer, Party Leader, and Representative; and CRS Report RL30857, Speakers of the
House: Elections, 1913-2005.)

Majority Leader. The majority leader is second to the Speaker in the party
hierarchy. Elected by secret ballot of the majority party’s caucus or conference in
organizational meetings prior to the start of a new Congress, the majority leader’s role has
largely been defined by history and tradition. Working closely with the Speaker and the
party’s whips, the majority leader is charged with scheduling legislation for floor
consideration, and does not, in modern practice, serve on House committees. The
majority leader helps plan daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas; consults with
Members to gauge sentiment on issues; urges colleagues to support or defeat measures
on the floor; and, in general, works to advance the goals of the majority party. The
majority leader is also responsible for closely watching floor activities, especially the
opposition party’s parliamentary maneuvers, but by custom, does not typically lead floor
debate on major measures. (See CRS Report RL30665, The Role of the House Majority
Leader: An Overview.)

3
The Speaker’s ex-officio membership, as well as that of the Minority Leader discussed below,
is pursuant to House Rule X, clause 11(a)(2). U.S. Congress, House of Representatives,
Constitution, Jefferson’s Manual, and Rules of the House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth
Congress, compiled by John V. Sullivan, Parliamentarian, 108th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Doc. 108-241
(Washington: GPO, 2005).
4
Examples include the party’s policy committee or its campaign committee. See 109th Congress
House Republican Conference Rules; and 109th Congress House Democratic Caucus Rules.
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Minority Leader. The minority leader is both the minority party’s counterpart to
the Speaker, and the floor leader of the “loyal opposition.” Elected by the minority party
caucus or conference at organizational meetings prior to the start of a new Congress, the
minority leader speaks for the minority party and its policies. The minority leader strives
to protect the minority’s rights, organizes and leads criticism of the majority party, and
devises parliamentary strategies and tactics that can put to best use the abilities of his
party to influence legislative outcomes. The minority leader chairs the party’s committee
assignment panel and also directly nominates or appoints minority party members to serve
on certain standing committees.5 Like the Speaker, the minority leader serves as an ex
officio member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. When the minority
leader’s party holds the White House, the minority leader may be the President’s chief
spokesperson in the House. By custom, the minority leader does not typically lead floor
debate on major measures. (See CRS Report RL30666, The Role of the House Minority
Leader: An Overview.)

Party Whips. Republican and Democratic party whips are elected by each party
caucus at early organizational meetings. Each majority and minority whip heads an
extensive whip network comprised of party loyalists. Each party selects at least one chief
deputy whip and a number of deputy and other whips.6 The job of the whips is to
maintain communication between the leadership of the party and its members, marshal
support for party positions on the floor, count votes on key legislation, and persuade
wavering Members to vote for the party position. Whip notices and advisories to all party
members about the legislative agenda are staple products of both parties’ whip
organizations and are posted on each party’s website. (See CRS Report RS20499, House
Leadership: Whip Organization.)

5
When in the majority, the conference or caucus rules provide these powers to the Speaker, as
outlined earlier.
6
Each party’s chief deputy whip is appointed by its chief whip; other members of the whip team
are either similarly appointed or elected by subsets of the party organization.